Hello everyone,
As you’ll have seen from social, I recently had a trip to Marrakech!! Morocco was definitely on my list of places to visit so I was really excited to book another trip and be able to cross another place off the list.
What many people forget is that Morocco isn’t actually that far away and it only took us around 3 and a half hours from Manchester.
I’m the type of person who likes a mixture of exploring and relaxing so the fact I could book an all-inclusive holiday and still enjoy some cultural trips was perfect!
The hotel we booked was called the `’Be Live collection Marrakech`’ and was a little outside the city centre. Though the hotel ran a free shuttle bus 4 times a day to the main square Jema el Fnaa. (more about that later!).
The hotel itself was an adult only hotel so it was nice and peaceful and it was stunningly clean.
We had a standard double room which had a lovely double bed and a gorgeous bathroom with walk in shower and his and hers sinks.
We took advantage of the first few days by relaxing by the pool and of course took advantage of the spa, treating ourselves to 2 spa days. As part of the treatments we had a Moroccan Hamaam bath which was lovely and relaxing, as well as a rose oil rub, clay mask and hot stone massage. I can definitely get used to this life!
Unfortunately, there wasn’t too much by way of entertainment at the hotel but it was nice and peaceful and everyone was relaxing.
We definitely had to experience the main square Jema el Fnaa in the daytime and evening time to see what it was like. In the daytime it’s a lot more relaxed and more about shopping in the many market stalls. Prepare yourself though because as soon as they see tourists, they will be shouting you over. If you do want to buy anything make sure you use your best haggling skills as it’s part of Moroccan culture to bargain with the shop keeper.
You can buy a whole array of stuff including leather goods, dishes/platters, keyrings, fake designer goods, hand crafted wooden ornaments and chess sets, Moroccan leather slippers….and many more.
I found I didn’t get pestered as much when I put on a head scarf and it kept the hair off my face. Make sure to stay hydrated too because it can get really hot. It was around 40 degrees when we were there.
In the evening, the square totally transforms itself into this hustling, bustling market place with snake charmers, henna ladies, acrobats, singers…everything. The square is much busier, full of both tourists and locals. There are plenty food stalls and you will definitely get mithered! We had a quick look round and then decided to get some dessert in one of the rooftop cafes. It was an incredible view looking out over the market and I definitely recommend it.
We tried to visit the YSL museum one day but unfortunately it was closed. Instead we looked around the Majorelle gardens which had loads of beautiful plants to look round and admire. We did have to queue for over an hour in the sun so make sure to bring a hat and plenty of bottled water.
The hotel had tonnes of Moroccan dishes for us to try and I was so excited as I hadn’t really tried Moroccan food before. I enjoyed it, especially the beef tagine and the fresh fruit. In morocco lunch is the main meal so the lunch menu was incredible. Expect to see lots of French inspired dishes, lamb, salads and fish.
We decided to venture out and see some culture so we booked the 4×4 atlas mountains trip where you spend 12 hours delving into the atlas mountains and visiting different stop off points along the way. We saw amazing landscapes, the set of game of thrones and gladiator, palaces and local berber villages. I really learned a lot and our guide Hasan was really helpful and knowledgeable.
We booked it with TUI group so we had the tour with other TUI customers from other hotels. I liked that as we could hear about all the other trips that they’d been on.
For a treat we decided to book one more trip which was a hot air balloon ride over the Atlas mountains. Waking at 5am was definitely worth it because it was such an incredible experience. The group we were with were lovely, the views were stunning and we had a nice local breakfast in this gorgeous tent afterward. I thought it was a particularly nice touch that they gave you a little certificate after the ride!
Included in the trip was a short camel ride which was really nice. My camel was so cute and looked like he was smiling.
I really enjoyed my trip and I’m really glad I booked the extra excursions when we got there. I feel like Morocco has a lot to offer and I learned a lot. Maybe next time I could visit Fez. It would be interesting to see how it differs to the capital.
Have any of you ever been to Morocco? I’d love to hear about your experience!. Thank you so much for reading and see you next time.
